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The Green Hanoi project has garnered approximately 300 members, and its membership continues to grow each day. |
Fearless of dirtiness and danger, these young individuals willingly submerge themselves for hours in the dark, polluted waters of canals and stagnant ditches filled with garbage in Hanoi. They diligently take turns cleaning up different kinds of waste. This ongoing effort has been carried out for almost five months since the establishment of the Ha Noi Xanh (Green Hanoi) group.
For an evergreen Hanoi
At the end of 2022, Nguyen Tien Huy, Le Minh Hieu, and Le Trung Thanh came together with the idea of launching the Green Hanoi project, with the objective of making a modest contribution toward spreading the message of environmental conservation throughout the capital city of Hanoi. Over nearly five months, the project has garnered approximately 300 members, and its membership continues to grow each day.
The team leader, Nguyen Tien Huy, 28, from Ninh Giang District, Hai Duong Province, expressed that upon founding the Green Hanoi project, all members shared the common goal of promoting the message embedded in the group's name - to progressively spread environmental protection consciousness.
The idea of establishing the Green Hanoi project began to take shape in Huy's mind during his time as a student at the University of Technology. It was during that period when Huy resided near the To Lich River, being exposed to the strong and foul odor daily. He was acutely aware of the profound impact it had on both personal health and the community. However, the conditions at that time were not conducive to implementing the project.
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The team select heavily polluted canals and ditches to carry out cleaning work. |
After graduating in 2018, Huy began working in marketing for a private company, but his passion for an environmental protection project never waned. During his employment, he crossed paths with like-minded individuals, Le Minh Hieu and Le Trung Thanh, who also shared a deep commitment to environmental conservation. Together, they founded the Green Hanoi project. Since then, Huy decided to leave his job and dedicate his full time and energy to the project.
Huy shared that in life, there are numerous ways to engage in charitable activities and contribute to the community. For him, rather than solely donating money to charitable causes, he has chosen to invest in an environmental protection project. He firmly believes that environmental conservation itself is a form of charity. In this particular instance, the project entails cleaning up waste from polluted canals and streams in Hanoi.
"Since my student days, I have developed a profound love for the environment and actively volunteered in various places, engaging in waste cleanup efforts. However, I realized that at that time, I was mostly following the trend. What truly matters to me is not just maintaining my personal cleanliness but also ensuring the cleanliness of the environment surrounding me. The Green Hanoi project will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to spreading environmental awareness within the community," said Nguyen Tien Huy.
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The team select heavily polluted canals and ditches to carry out cleaning work. |
Currently, after nearly five months of operation, the Green Hanoi project has garnered considerable attention, particularly among students residing and studying in Hanoi. To join the project's activities, individuals must be at least 18 years old and have received at least one dose of the polio vaccine.
Promoting positive actions
According to the team leader, the project group has actively engaged in more than 40 cleanup sessions targeting waste under canals and polluted ditches across Hanoi in the past five months. Significant attention has been given to areas with high pollution levels, including Dinh Cong Ward, Linh Dam area in Hoang Mai District, Am Bridge, La Khe Canal in Ha Dong District, along the Nhue River and Huu Hoa Commune in Thanh Tri District, and the To Lich River.
To facilitate cleanup activities for waste beneath polluted waterways, Huy conducts thorough surveys of the areas, terrain, and surroundings before each session. This allows him to develop an optimal plan for the team, ensuring the safe use of tools and equipment. On average, these cleanup sessions last 4-5 hours, although areas with substantial waste may require more time. The group typically collects around 300-400kg of diverse waste materials during each session, including animal carcasses, syringes, broken bottles, and plastic bags. In some locations, the volume of waste can even reach several tons.
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The team select heavily polluted canals and ditches to carry out cleaning work. |
Nguyen Tien Huy has shared that, to prioritize the safety of participants in waste cleanup, male members are given priority to enter the canals and ditches, wading through the water to scrape and collect trash, while other members remain on the banks to transport and gather the waste at designated locations. Members who directly enter the water must undergo training in basic waste collection skills, such as minimizing movement due to the potential presence of syringe needles and broken glass fragments, which can pose risks of injury. All members are equipped with tools and protective gear to ensure their safety during underwater navigation.
The group's efforts have received encouragement and support from the local community, but they have also faced skepticism and critical comments. Nguyen Tien Huy shared that initially, some people expressed doubts, making statements such as, "It is unclear whether they clean their own homes, but now they are putting on a show of cleaning up here," "Cleaning waste is like a drop in the ocean, and they are wasting their time," and "They are a fool for one's pains." However, Huy stated that the members pay little attention to such remarks and remain committed to their actions once they have joined the group for volunteer work. Furthermore, numerous youth and students actively engage in volunteering with the group, seeking personal growth and pushing their limits.
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The team select heavily polluted canals and ditches to carry out cleaning work. |
Bui Thi Thao, 22, from Hoa Binh Province, is currently studying English Linguistics in Hanoi. She shared that despite having joined the Green Hanoi group just over two months, she can already sense the significance of this work. Thao acknowledges that it is a challenging task, but she personally chose it to ensure that her youth is not wasted or monotonous.
"People say that if you want to bring about change, start with the smallest actions. I feel that what we are doing is just a superficial aspect of the issue. However, our action is important because, through it, we want to promote and raise environmental protection awareness," Thao affirmed. She further added that initially, when participating in the waste cleanup, many people had different opinions and remarks, and she felt disheartened because her efforts were not acknowledged. However, she came to realize that in life, there will always be diverse opinions, and it is impossible to please everyone.
There was a time when the whole group had just finished cleaning up waste under a polluted canal, only to witness some residents immediately littering again, making them feel disheartened. Despite being reminded, some people turned a deaf ear or ignored it. Thao believes that this incident is evidence of a lack of awareness among a certain segment of the population.
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A ditch before and after being cleaned up by the team. |
Like Bui Thi Thao, Le Van Thuan, the director of an interior design company in Hanoi, is also actively engaged in environmental conservation. Thuan shared that he discovered the group through TikTok and immediately reached out to them without hesitation to participate in their endeavors.
"In the past two months, I have joined eight waste cleanup sessions, mostly on weekends, devoting the entire day to collecting trash with my fellow volunteers. The work is challenging, but I feel that my efforts are meaningful, and I take pride in what I am doing," Thuan shared.
Le Van Thuan is one of the few male participants selected to directly enter the water to collect trash and transport it to the shore. Thuan shared that he felt a bit uncertain during the initial session, but by the second session, he became more comfortable with the tasks as the team leader provided guidance on how to operate underwater.
Nguyen Tien Huy also shared his hope that the Green Hanoi project will effectively disseminate the message of environmental protection to all relevant parties in order to receive support and raise public awareness more effectively.
"We are undertaking this work to inspire the youth of Vietnam and to hope for not just a green Hanoi, but also for all 63 provinces and cities to be green," emphasized Nguyen Tien Huy. He also mentioned that they would maintain the project for at least one more year to pursue their dream of environmental protection.
